A Thousand Words
by Tryx
Summary: Nick's views on Valentines Day, before it changes his life. (Warning: SLASH... Nick/Greg... do not read if this bothers you)


**Title:**  A Thousand Words

**Author:**  Tryx 

**Rating:**  PG-13 (I guess)

**Disclaimer:**  CSI and everyone in it do not belong to me.  I am just a poor writer.  Don't sue.

**Feedback:**  Please, please, please.  It inspires more fic…  (send to lectryx@yahoo.com )

**Note:**  I made a manipulation which inspired this fic.  It's the picture mentioned in this story.  You can find it at 

Nick sat in one of the back booths in Millie's diner, shoving French fries into his mouth, one after another.  He was only a block away from the crime lab, and was trying to convince himself not to go into work.  It was his day off, after all.  He'd earned it.  If he went in now, he'd just be doing it in order to hide from himself.

He looked up and cringed as he heard a woman's loud squeal, followed by and excited giggle.  In the booth across from his sat a couple in their early twenties.  They giggling girl and her boyfriend both had freakishly pale blond hair, and their faces were pressed so closely together that Nick could barely tell which was which.  He glared and then looked away as the girl laughed again and proceeded to climb into her boyfriend's lab, in spite of the confines of the tiny booth.

Nick sighed and took a sip of his soda.  He hated this damn holiday.  He hated that the entire diner was filled with kissing, cuddling couples that carried armfuls of long stemmed roses and fed each other expensive chocolates out of funny-shaped boxes.  He hated that every year he had to watch as the rest of the world paired off and upheld such stupid traditions.

But more than anything, Nick hated the fact that for once, he had almost numbered among those happy couples, but he'd fucked it all up, and he was alone once again.

He'd made plans for today.  He'd made an actual effort.  He'd even taken the day off to spend with Karen, the petite redhead he'd met in a bar two months ago, and it had been torture convincing Grissom to let him off on such short notice.  Of course, at the time, Nick was sure that it was worth it.

Nick had never had a date on Valentines Day before.

Under normal circumstances, it wasn't that difficult for Nick to get a date.  Women tended to like the way he looked, the way he acted.  Even the fact that he was a CSI held in his favor.  But getting the girl wasn't the problem.  Keeping her for any length of time was where he had problems.  His longest relationship had lasted just over three months, and that had been over five years ago.

It was starting to become pathetic, but it wasn't like he hadn't tried to change.

A date on Valentines Day meant something.  It stood for commitment, romance, and dedication, but for reasons beyond him, Nick had never been very good at any of those things.  

This year was supposed to be different.  His date with Karen was supposed to mean something.  

She wasn't supposed to dump him only hours before the date was supposed to begin.

Nick stared down at his half-eaten hamburger.  Usually he was a good eater.  It had never taken him this long to finish a simple lunch before.  This Karen thing was bothering him way more than it should have.  It wasn't as though she was the love of his life.  They hadn't even been out that many times, but Nick already knew it was just a passing thing.

_"You don't want to be with me, Nick.  And I think we both know why."_

Karen had said so many things over the phone, and he was still trying to figure them all out.  She had been calm at first, but then her voice changed when Nick tried to get her to explain what was going on, why she was dumping him at the last minute.  At first he thought that maybe she'd found someone else, but after listening to her speak, Nick decided that wasn't the case. 

In fact, it had sounded as though she thought that _he'd_ found someone else.  But that was crazy.

"Hey, Nick!  What are you doing here, man?" 

Wasn't it?  
  


Nick looked up as Greg jogged over; his jacket bundled under his arm.  He slid into the booth across from Nick and reached out, stealing one of the remaining fries off of Nick's plate.  He popped it in his mouth.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.  "Waiting for Karen?"  His eyes narrowed as Nick shook his head, taking another drink.  "Why not?"

"Date was cancelled.  She bailed."

Greg cringed.  "Ouch, man.  Dumped on Valentines Day.  That's gotta suck."

Nick glared at him.  "I wasn't dumped.  She wasn't even my girlfriend.  We'd only been out a few times.  It doesn't matter."

Greg grinned and snagged another fry.  "Methinks thou doth protest too much.  Besides, if it really didn't matter, then why haven't you eaten anything?"

Nick looked down at his still half-full plate of food, and then back up at Greg.  Why had it bothered him so much?  Sure, it did suck to be dumped on Valentines Day, but Nick didn't think that was what was bothering him so much.  No, it was what Karen had said while she was doing it that was messing with his head.

What she'd said about him and Greg.

"Shut up man.  I don't see a girl hanging off your arm right now, either."  It was a lame comeback, but it was all Nick could manage at the moment.

Greg smiled at him.  He reached over and pulled the glass of soda out of the death grip that Nick had on it, and took a drink from it before setting it back down on the table, empty.  "I just wanted to keep my options open.

"So if the date with Karen's a no-go, what are you going to do with the rest of the day?"

Nick shrugged and stared down at the table in front of him.

_"I don't know who you think you're fooling, Nick.  It's so obvious.  Everyone can see it."_

"You weren't actually thinking about going into work today, were you?"  Nick looked up and met Greg's eyes.  The younger man's face was screwed up in a look halfway between amazement and disbelief…something only Greg could ever pull off without looking constipated.  Greg shook his head and pulled himself out of the booth, pulling his jacket on.  "Come on."

"What?"

Greg nodded towards the table.  "Come on, pay for your lunch and get off your ass.  You're not going back to the lab today, Nick.  Not if I can help it."

Nick stared up at Greg, but did as he asked, standing up out of the booth, pulling his wallet out of the back of his jeans, and dropping a ten dollar bill on the table.  He felt Greg's fingers grasp the arm of his sweater, and he found himself being dragged out of the diner and out onto the sidewalk.

"Where the hell are you taking me, man?"  Nick asked as he was led down the street.  It was only two o clock in the afternoon.  There were hundreds of people milling around the streets around them, and each and every one of them could see Nick being dragged around by Greg, who was acting more and more like an excited five year old.

"You're always with him, Nick.  You've blown me off four times in a row just so you could spend time with him."

"Come on, I have a surprise for you."

About three blocks later, Greg led Nick into his apartment building, and pulled him into the elevator.  They went up to the top floor, and then up the final flight of stairs.  Greg let go of his arm in order to push open the heavy metal door at the top of the staircase.  The dark hallway was instantly flooded with light, and Greg stepped out onto the roof.  

"Uh, Greg?"  Nick stepped out after him, leaving the door open behind them.  "What's going on?"

Greg looked over his shoulder at Nick and grinned.  "I told you, it's a surprise.  Come on."

The door back inside the apartment building was smack dab in the middle of the roof, facing the North side.  Greg turned and began leading Nick behind the door, towards the South side of the building.  There, just behind the wall stood a tripod, and a camera.  It faced a large cement block near the edge of the building.  Greg ran up to the camera, looked through it, towards the cement cube, then pressed a button.  Nick heard a soft beep from the camera, and before he knew what was happening, Greg had stripped off his jacket, dropped it next to the camera, and was dragging Nick towards the block.

He pushed Nick up against it.  "Stand here," he ordered.  "Lean against this thingie and look at the camera."  Nick wanted to ask what was going on, but he was sure that even if he did ask, Greg wouldn't tell him, so he just did as he was asked.  He leaned back against the block.  The edge of it hit him at the waist and he was vaguely aware of Greg hopping up onto the block, positioning himself behind Nick.  The younger man dropped down into a crouch and pressed up against him.

"Greg, what's going on?"

Greg shook his head and slid one arm around Nick, onto his chest, positioning it beneath Nick's own crossed arms.  "Just look at the camera."

All Nick could think about was how Greg was pressed up against his back.  He could feel Greg's warm breath on his neck and the warmth of his body seeping into his own.  Nick shivered and tightened his arms across his chest, holding Greg's arm closer.

The camera went off with a flash, and afterwards he felt Greg lean even closer.  Nick felt the other man's hand graze his waist, and he struggled not to move.

"There," Greg said, his warm lips grazing Nick's ear as he moved closer.  "That was painless wasn't it?"  Nick leaned into him, feeling Greg's chest press against his back.

"Was that my surprise?  The camera?"  He turned his head slightly, trying to catch a better glimpse of Greg's face.  When he met the other man's eyes, Greg grinned and shook his head.

"No," he said, his voice softer than Nick had ever heard it before.  "This is."  And then his lips were on Nick's.  Greg's lips were warm and soft and every thing Nick had imagined they would be.  Nick felt the uneasiness that had been lodged in his gut ever since Karen's phone call fade away, replaced by the sweetest warmth he'd ever felt, and he kissed Greg back.  This was it.  This was what he'd been searching for, hoping for.

A moment later, they parted, and Nick looked up at Greg.  The younger man sighed and turned his head, burrowing his face into Nick's neck.  He laid a kiss there and held Nick tighter.

"So what was the camera for?"

Greg laughed into his skin, before pressing another kiss there and pulling his head away.  He stared into Nick's eyes, smiling.  He forward.  "Ask me again next Valentine's day," he whispered against Nick's mouth, and then kissed him again.

"You don't want to be with me, Nick.  I don't think you ever did.  You want him.  You know you do.  I just hope one day you'll stop fooling yourself and see what's right in front of you."

ONE YEAR LATER

Nick sighed and pulled the warm body towards him.  Greg's back was pressed against Nick's chest and Nick's arms twined tighter around his sleeping lover.  

He could barely believe how much things had changed in a single year.  They lived together now, sharing an apartment and a bed and a home in the very building where they'd had their first kiss.  

Nick felt Greg shift slightly and grinned.  He nuzzled the back of Greg's neck, pressing kisses to the soft skin there.  Minutes later, Greg turned around to face him, wrapping his own arms around Nick.

Nick smiled at the look in Greg's eyes.  One of the first things he learned about his boyfriend was that Greg was not a morning person.  He usually spent a good hour in a sleepy daze before actually attempting to do anything.

Greg pressed a kiss to his chin.  "What time is it?" his voice came out as a whisper.

Nick leaned back, turning over so that his back was pressed against the mattress, pulling Greg with him to rest on his shoulder.  "Late."

"I can't believe we both got today off," Greg mumbled, nuzzling closer.  "I thought Griss was gonna go on a rampage or something."  Nick chuckled softly, and rubbed Greg's arm.  It had been difficult, but they'd finally managed to get the day off together.  Nick had spent weeks cajoling Grissom, telling him how important it was to the both of them.  And it was.  His relationship with Greg had blown every other relationship he'd ever had out of the water.  They'd been together and entire year, and Nick could no longer imagine what life would be like without his partner.

He turned his head, and his eye caught on the picture frame sitting on the bedside table.  He reached out and picked it up, holding it so that he could see it properly.  It was a photo of him; his arms crossed over his chest, with Greg snuggled up behind him, his arm wrapped around Nick.

He looked down at Greg to find the younger man staring up at him.  "So," he whispered, setting the photo back on the table.  "Do I get to ask now?"

Greg cuddled closer.  "I just wanted us to remember how it began, how we got together."  He looked up at Nick again.  "I wanted you to look at that picture and see how much I love you, how much I've always loved you."  He sighed and stared up at Nick, emotions shining through his dark eyes.  "I just wanted you to _know_."

Nick felt tears stinging his eyes, but he blinked them away before Greg could see them.  "I know now, Greg.  And I love you too."  And with that, he pressed his lips to Greg, and held onto his lover as though he couldn't stand to ever let go.  "Happy Aniversary, Greg," he whispered against his lips.  He felt Greg's mouth smile against his.

"Happy Valentines Day."


End file.
